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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566126">Stories From The Everyday</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blurple_bird_human/pseuds/Blurple_bird_human'>Blurple_bird_human</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Baby Character, Crushes, F/F, F/M, Family, Friendship, Future, Gen, Healthy Relationships, LGBTQ Female Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Multi, Platonic Female/Female Relationships, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Queer Themes, They act like gen z, Unhealthy Relationships, big cast, daily life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:15:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,230</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blurple_bird_human/pseuds/Blurple_bird_human</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A non-extraordinary, everyday collection of stories about crushes, family, friends, and stupid, midnight conversations. </p><p>The wizards of Fairy Tail don't always have to be fighting monsters. Sometimes, their struggles are a little more...mundane and emotional.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cana Alberona/Natsu Dragneel, Freed Justine/Gajeel Redfox, Gray Fullbuster/Other(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Conversations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey!! Welcome to this story. </p><p>This 1st chapter is just an introduction to the general theme and style of this book. It's all just setup. </p><p>TWs: vague mentions of ab*se, cigarette/smoking mention, vaping mention, alcohol.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two o'clock in the morning and the Fairy Tail wizards were busy goofing off by the pier. Drinking, filming, playing music. They had been collected together in a massive crowd since the evening, and conversation flowed like the definitely-spiked lemonade. </p><p>Freed hadn't formally 'come out' just yet, but the entire guild was <em>well aware </em>that he was gay. And of the fact that he was sitting on Gajeel's lap with his nose nuzzled into Gajeel's neck. Truly, he hadn't come out because he'd never <em>needed </em>to. The whole group treated it as if it were nothing new. </p><p>"Gray, are you still with Jax?" Lucy asked innocently, surrounded with the conversations of her friends. </p><p>"Hm? Oh yeah, we're still together."</p><p>Lucy frowned. "I thought you were going to--"</p><p>"Leave him. I know what I said. But there's a lot that goes into that. Besides, I think we're over whatever hump that was. Things have been calmer lately."</p><p>"Okay, if you say so," she muttered, then took a swig of lemonade.</p><p>She had never approved of Gray's boyfriend. <em>Ever. </em>She'd grown up with Jax herself and accidentally introduced the two of them at her middle school reunion a few months prior. Jax was <em>okay </em>as a teenager, from what she could recall, but frankly, she didn't remember much about grades eight-to-eleven. She'd been either drunk or high on most days. Sometimes both. In her cloudy memory, she could see Jax sitting on the roof of Magnolia's train station, cigarette in one hand and notebook in the other while he filled in his homework answers. With how little she remembered, she could recite his prices clearly: Two jewel per question or paragraph on an assignment, six jewel if it was a major grade, and nine jewel for test answers.</p><p>"You know where I live, right? There's always a spot open to sleep, if you ever feel unsafe."</p><p>Gray sighed. "...Thanks."</p><p>She frowned again, then dropped the subject. </p><p>Before she could continue a conversation, Gray gave Freed a nudge on the arm, beaming, and playfully reminded him to 'use protection'. On his way inside to the bar, he passed by Cana and Natsu, sitting together at a table of their own. They had been on the brink of getting together for months, and with the amount of alcohol flowing, tonight was going to be the night. Her head was already on his shoulder and she had the blindest smile on her face, like nothing else mattered. He assumed that she'd drank herself into a weird euphoria. </p><p>He sat down at a table with some of his other guild mates, all of which were either single or had no reason to pry into his own romantic life. Bixlow, Laxus, and Wendy were caught in a very serious conversation at one table about whether or not magicians could be considered wizards. Next to them was Evergreen, Levy, and all three Strauss siblings in the middle of some very intense small-talk. He decided to join in with them--the other conversation was scaring him, actually. </p><p>Levy was busy explaining something about a new book she had bought when she finally let it slip.</p><p>"So, my husband is obsessed with the--"</p><p>"Your <em>what?" </em>Mira asked, stopping her.</p><p>"Oh, did I not tell you guys I was married?"</p><p>Gray would've been surprised if this had come from anyone else, but Levy was so humble and private that it was just like her not to tell anybody about her own wedding.</p><p>"No!" Lisanna squeaked.</p><p>"Oh, well...I am."</p><p>"How did we not know this?"</p><p>"To be fair, I thought you did!"</p><p>"To be fair, what the fuck?" Elfman asked. </p><p>"Why didn't you invite anybody from the guild to the wedding?" Evergreen asked, "I have some gowns that would've looked great at a wedding ceremony."</p><p>Levy giggled, cheeks starting to flush, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She really did look like a child sometimes--even guildmates her own age had a tendency to forget she was an adult. Her mind flashed back for a second to about a year prior to when Wakaba threw her wine glass across the guild hall because he was <em>convinced </em>that she was too young to be drinking. She had been <em>twenty-six </em>by that point. And to the time Makarov had bought her a plastic elephant for her birthday when she was turning fourteen, convinced that she was still playing with toys. The funniest part was that she had let him think she was younger for months after that. The elephant was still sitting at her home office, actually.</p><p>"Guys, don't worry about it, alright? I didn't invite you to a wedding because there was no wedding. There was no gown, no suit, we got married at three AM in the woods somewhere and had his cousin from fucking <em>Clover </em>of all places officiate. Our witness was our pet turtle. There was nothing to invite you to. And it wasn't really a big deal at all." </p><p>"You literally got married, the fuck do you mean <em>not a big deal?" </em>Elfman scoffed, slack-jawed. </p><p>"Nice language there, Elfman." Evergreen rolled her eyes.</p><p>"I know, right?" He shot back sarcastically.</p><p>Lucy walked by, trying to go find Erza,and noticed Romeo, sitting in a far corner, not knowing where to go and awkwardly glancing around. The only person here who was his own age had been Wendy, and she was far gone in debate with Bixlow and Laxus. It had definitely not been his first time coming to one of these...gatherings, but tonight had been drenched in conversations about romance and sex and drinks and films that he couldn't participate in. </p><p>Briefly, she remembered being his age. She had been his polar opposite, a class clown and a shy, quiet little hermit around her close friends. She hadn't spoken to that friend group in years, though, probably for good reason. She'd always had a vape in her back pocket and a couple potential boyfriends in her phone. She remembered spin-the-bottle games and nights that if she were being honest with herself, she'd rather forget. </p><p>She chuckled and sat down next to him, but as she got closer, she had to swallow back a gasp.</p><p>"Romeo, what happened to your eye?"</p><p>"Nothing."</p><p>"Don't say 'nothing' when there's a massive bruise on your face. I've done it before and it won't work."</p><p>"<em>Nothing." </em>He repeated, a little firmer this time. </p><p>She nodded solemnly. He wasn't going to say anything, and that would have to be alright for now. Instead of pushing him, she just coaxed him into a regular conversation.</p><p>And both of them felt less alone for a while.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. It's Not Okay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A guild-wide beach day starts some conversations, both for better and worse.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TWs for this chapter: continued mentions of abuse (from the end of last chapter), panic/anxiety attack.</p><p>Criticism is welcome in the comments!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A day at the beach was Makarov's idea, which meant that something was going to end up going wild. Natsu could still remember their last beach day, when he ended up falling right on the rocks while wrestling with Gajeel and broke his nose. The two of them had decided not to tell anyone about it, which got them an earful about safety from both Porlyusica and Gildarts. </p><p>He glanced over his shoulder at Lucy, who was staring intently at Romeo. Something hadn't been right with Romeo, even his scent had been off for the past few months, but he'd been trying not to pay much attention to it. He sighed, then went to join the others, far closer to the ocean than he was right now. He wasn't about to spoil this day--if his suspicions were correct, Romeo could use a little time with the people who cared about him. It seemed better not to stress him out further. </p><p>Lucy, on the other hand, seemed unconvinced. It took her another few seconds before she finally lowered her gaze and let it go, following after Natsu. The bruise on Romeo's face was fading, and she couldn't see any fresh ones. As she helped Macao carry the <em>massive </em>liquor cooler, she wondered how much he knew. How much he'd <em>noticed. </em></p><p>"I can see you making eyes at her, y'know," Lucy rolled her eyes, smirking. Natsu was <em>far </em>from cautious on a good day, but now, he was just openly staring. </p><p>"Shut up!" He said, with a little more bite than he'd meant to have. </p><p>To be fair, Cana looked <em>adorable </em>in that moment, wearing a white dress over her bathing suit. Her hair was tied back out of her face, a style he hadn't seen her in since they were in their early teens. She was watching the waves roll past her toes, dragging the sand in and out with the tides. For some reason, it seemed to make her <em>immensely </em>happy, even to the point of giggling. If there was one thing he knew about Cana, it was that she didn't <em>giggle. </em>She had lost touch with anything remotely dainty about her <em>years ago,</em> being raised almost entirely by Macao and Wakaba. She looked...alive. </p><p>It took him a moment to realize that her excitement probably came from the fact that she hadn't seen the sun in days, let alone the ocean. Her habit of closing herself up in her bedroom at home, not answer messages, and waste her hours away by staring at the ceiling for long periods of time, had been catching up to her. It started to click in Natsu's head: she did that whenever she was under stress. She would become hard on herself and withdraw from everyone because for all her life, her anxieties had <em>come from people--</em>sharing her space at the orphanage, classmates, her family. Natsu was the opposite. All his fears revolved around being left alone...like that one time...</p><p><em>Nope. </em>He wasn't thinking about that right now. Not happening. No way in hell. Impossible. No. </p><p>"I am literally out with the guild." Gray's voice snapped Natsu out of his thoughts. He was talking into his phone, clearly irritated. "This is my family. I'm staying...what part of 'i'm staying' did you not understand'...y'know what? I'm not doing this." </p><p>
  <em>Click. </em>
</p><p>Well, shit. That wasn't like Gray at all. With most people, Gray was afraid to hang up first, in case he accidentally cut someone off while they were saying 'goodbye'. </p><p>Before Natsu could comment, Gray was already walking away, with one hand concealing his face. </p><p>"Gray?" Freed called after him from his spot in the sand. "What's the problem?" </p><p>Gray didn't respond, just fluttered a seemingly dismissive hand while sobs wracked his body. He was trembling hard and making squealing noises from the back of his throat. </p><p>Freed called his name a few more times before cutting in front of him and taking him by the upper arms. "Gray? Gray. Talk to me." </p><p>Freed was probably the best person for this, Natsu assumed, considering the fact that he was easygoing and softspoken. </p><p>Gray shook his head rapidly, still squeaking and sobbing, with his eyes on Freed's feet. Oh shit, this was <em>bad. </em>He had only seen Gray like this a few times, all of which had been accidental and never to be spoken of again, but for him to do this in front of the whole guild? That was new. And worrying. </p><p>"Jax just...He...I..."</p><p>"Breathe first, then speak" Freed said firmly.</p><p>Gray took a moment to get his thoughts together. It was hard to manage anything besides painful, jagged sentences, especially when the whole guild was staring at him. Freed, noticing the eyes on them, was an absolute saving grace, pulling the two of them over to an area with less people so he could try and calm down in peace. </p><p>"I told Jax that I didn't want to come home and he..." He took a sharp inhale, looking visibly sick. "He told me that he'll destroy the photos that I have if I don't come back and spend time with him. He--He said that---He said that---He--"</p><p>"Breathe." </p><p>Gray ran a shaky hand through his hair. Freed couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or just frantic. Or both. </p><p>"He said that if I don't put him first---he--he won't put me first and he won't---won't give a shit if he destroys my photos. But those--those pictures are so important to me. They're all I have from before--before I--I came here to Fiore and I can't lose those photos. They're all I have of my parents and my master and my childhood and my friends and now he might destroy them and I might lose my house and--"</p><p>"Breathe, Gray, you're starting to spiral." Freed chose his words carefully, speaking slowly and making sure to enunciate every syllable. "He has no right to do that to you or to make you feel like this. If you need somebody to come home with you and get your belongings, I can--"</p><p>"No, no...it's not like that--he's not like that--it's not--it's okay--"</p><p>"No, it isn't. It's not okay." </p><p>He frowned. This wasn't the time to lecture, Gray couldn't even form a sentence without being interrupted with harsh gasps and sobs, let alone reason his way through the problem. He took Gray lightly by the shoulders and sat him down in the sand, then crouched down across from him. He watched Gray struggle for a few seconds. </p><p>"How often do you get like this?"</p><p>"Recently?" He could barely talk through the shaking. "More than I'd like--like to." </p><p>"Okay..." Freed gave a sigh through his nose. "Deep breaths. You need to try and calm down." </p><p>"I am." </p><p>"I know you are. Here, I have an idea, why don't we go stand in the water? Maybe the cold will bring you back down to reality. The direct sunlight is probably not the best thing right now, not with how much you're sweating."</p><p>Gray and Freed made their way over to the water in comfortable silence. He'd been right, the feeling of cold water on his legs seemed to make Gray snap back even faster. Freed did have to give him credit: Gray was, and always had been, incredibly resilient, even more than Laxus or Natsu were. This breakdown had caught him entirely off-guard because it was <em>Gray, </em>not a more sensitive or open person. </p><p>"I'm sorry," Gray looked at Freed right in the eyes, passed a mop of dark hair, hardly able to hold his own weight while the ice-cold Fiore ocean half-dragged him out of a mental spiral. </p><p>"Don't apologize. I'll take you home, then you can come to my house and get some rest,is that okay?" </p><p>"This is your beach day, too. You should enjoy it." </p><p>"It's also your day off, and I doubt being around all this noise is going to be good for you after <em>this </em>situation. There will be more beach days and parties. We're supposed to stick together, are we not?"</p><p>"...Thank you." </p><p>He had never seen anyone look so grateful for something so mundane.</p><p>"It's my pleasure," Freed said, sure to keep his voice passive and unemotional. He didn't want to give Gray any unneeded emotional turmoil, and part of that involved swallowing down his <em>many </em>thoughts and opinions involving Gray's relationship. "Come on, let's get going."</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Beer-Colored Sunset</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cana and Natsu figure out where their relationship stands, and Bixlow receives a letter.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Criticisms are welcome in the comments, and thank you for reading!!</p><p>I'll put a heavier focus on the Romeo plotline in the next chapter. This chapter is happier than the others.</p><p>TWs: vague alcohol mention, foster care/adoption</p><p>What? ME? Adding a new plotline in the middle of the book? Nooooo. N E V E R</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The drive back from the beach was filled with an almost-therapeutic silence. Cana and Natsu hadn't been alone together in a few days, and it resulted in the two of them giggling like inexperienced middle-school students. Aside from being about to pass out from the strap of the magic-mobile taking her magic energy by the gallon, Cana was more excited than she'd ever been. </p><p>"Has Gray gotten in touch?" She asked.</p><p>"Freed sent me a text. He's doing a lot better. Staying the night at Freed's, then they're going to Jax's place to get his stuff." Natsu replied. </p><p>"That's good," she said, sighing.</p><p>Cana had to admit, she worried too much about her guildmates. She knew Freed had it under control--he was the type of guy who had just about everything under control--but seeing the emotional rise from Gray at the beach had shaken her to the core. Her fingers clamped hard around the steering wheel, eyes fixed straight ahead on the road. She hated Jax. Hated the whole situation. </p><p>Then again, nothing was going okay. Nothing. Nothing would ever be okay because it was impossible for anything to end without pain, and she wanted to avoid pain, and--</p><p>"Cana?"</p><p>Oh, right, she was driving.</p><p>"Hm?" </p><p>She took a brief look at him before looking back through the windshield, swallowing back a grin. He looked amazing, with his hair barely tamed on top of his head. His scarf was folded up in the backseat because it couldn't fit under the baggy, black hoodie he'd thrown on over his swim shorts. She took one hand off the steering wheel and perched it on top of his.</p><p>Natsu grinned, flipping his hand over to fully hold Cana's hand, absentmindedly tracing patterns with his thumb. </p><p>"Can I ask you something?"</p><p>He sounded like he was floating. </p><p>""Course."</p><p>"Do you want to make this official?"</p><p>Cana jolted. It took every single ounce of self-control she had--which, granted, wasn't much--to keep from swerving into a nearby tree. This conversation had been a long time coming, but his forwardness...even though she <em>knew </em>that was Natsu's personality...it had caught her off-guard. <em>Did she want to make this official? </em></p><p>"...Yeah!" She blinked, trying to hide her shock and show off her excitement, "oh my gosh, yes! A hundred percent!"</p><p>She pulled over to the side of the road, climbing over her own seat on her hands and knees, to kiss him. It seemed excessive for the moment, but she didn't care. Natsu beamed, laughing at her excitement as if she were a kitten. He pressed his forehead against hers, giggling, before wrapping his arms around her and putting one hand on the back of her head. He fidgeted with her coffee-brown hair. </p><p>Cana grinned against him, never wanting the moment to end, as she nestled herself into his chest. She didn't <em>really </em>care that the other drivers nearby must have thought they were crazy, or that the two of them were parked on the side of the road. </p><p>By the time the two of them got back on the road, the sun was on its way down, turning the clouds lipstick-pink and the kind of orange that reminded Cana a little bit of beer. </p><p>The same sunset that Bixlow was under during his mini moment of truth. </p><p>He opened the envelope, leaning against the railing of his front porch. He hadn't been this excited in a while.</p><p>He had been fostering one-year-old Gadina for about three months. Not being one for doing things professionally or properly, he had avoided putting in a real adoption application, or even starting a process similar to it. But...he had to admit it to himself, Gadina had him wrapped around her tiny little finger. </p><p>His eyes grazed the whole page for any real information that didn't consist of platitudes and PR stunts. Finally, he found it:</p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>The Council of Fiore has received your application, and we are pleased to admit that we have found Bixlow of Magnolia a fit parent. </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>The rest of the page was shit he'd have to fill out later or fees he had to pay. </p><p>He grinned, then scrambled inside to find Gadina. Already excited to see him, she babbled and flailed her little arms. He lifted her up, cackling with excitement. Despite being...well...the way he was...Bixlow <em>did, </em>in fact, have a soft side. The kind of soft side that was good for holding his new daughter. <em>Holy shit, </em>she was his daughter now. </p><p>The realization hit him like a train as he pulled her close, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. He tried to remind himself to breathe while he ran his fingertips along her curls. She put her two little hands, folded up into fists like little flower petals, on his chest and lifted her head up. Through his helmet, she could see her brown eyes, massive against her face, staring up at him while she squeaked. </p><p>For the first time, he really, really didn't want this moment to be over. </p><p>"Hey, little girl," he cooed, fighting the biggest grin, "what's going on, Beautiful?"</p><p>She squeaked even more at his voice, excited. He stuck his tongue out, knowing it would get a rise out of her. Like clockwork, it made her scream and wiggle in his arms at the sudden sight.</p><p>"I'm your Dad now," He said softly, knowing she didn't really know what that meant, but it didn't matter. He just...he needed to feel like she knew it.</p><p>And maybe she did. </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Lucy Gets It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lucy has a serious talk with Romeo about his family</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TWs: heavy mentions of emotional abuse, bad parents, vague mention/implication of Romeo's parents being divorced </p><p>I have a feeling I'll edit this chapter later</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting on a park bench with Romeo, alone, made Lucy feel like someone had shoved a boulder down her throat, letting it settle awkwardly in her stomach. She knew that look on Romeo's face--the one she'd had at his age, too. </p><p>Romeo wasn't like her, though. He'd shut down, get cynical and quiet. Lucy...well, Lucy had been the opposite. Angry, passionate. Natsu would've said <em>fired up. </em></p><p>Ever since Romeo had been living with his mother, he'd started to get distance.</p><p>"Romeo, talk to me," Lucy sat down next to him, inching a <em>little </em>too close for comfort. Romeo didn't say anything. "I won't tell your dad, I promise you. I'm not going to do anything without your permission, I just want to know if you're safe."</p><p>"Safe from what?" Romeo snapped.</p><p>His eyes were fixed straight ahead on one crack in the wall. There went that look, sinking deeper into himself.</p><p>Lucy let out a breath, shoulders hunching. Romeo looked like a kid--he almost never looked like a kid. Amid demons, magical jobs, fights against rival guilds, and the guild disbanding-slash-rejoining, it was hard to remember that Romeo was anything other than just another team member. But his teammates--most of the guild, actually, were adults who had been thrown into this chaos many times before. </p><p>Fucking Gods, it was no <em>wonder </em>he had so many walls up. </p><p>"I think you know exactly what I mean." </p><p>"I don't."</p><p>"Romeo, I'm not trying to interrogate you or invade. I just--I--look, let me explain something to you," She was making progress, apparently, because Romeo turned to look at her, "my dad did a lot of the same things, okay? I've seen it. I have. The flinching and being scared of everyone and not letting anyone get close. And if she's anything like my dad, she's got you <em>convinced </em>that nobody cares. But I do care about you, okay? I do. And so does the rest of this guild. I won't tell anybody anything, unless you want me to." She shifted uncomfortable in her seat, watching Romeo curl in on himself. "And you don't need to say anything, but if you ever don't want to be at home, I have a place for you to stay, okay?"</p><p>Silence fell over the two of them for a long moment. Romeo looked over at her--tired, drained, almost sick-looking--for a long while, before nodding. </p><p>"...Thanks."</p><p>"'Course," She said.</p><p>Lucy remembered herself at that age. She had been so <em>angry. </em>Not the kind of anger that her friends had in brawls, where they can laugh about it years later, it was the kind of anger that couldn't be placated away. Not even when her father had been acting right and talking about how beautiful she was and how much he loved her--his poor excuse for an apology after weeks of screaming matches. She had tried to kill that anger, to drown it in private spite and detentions and whatever-the-fuck she had been smoking at that point. </p><p>She had been tired then, just like Romeo was, confused and drained and wondering who she could trust. That was before she realized that she could <em>trust </em>almost no one but she could <em>love </em>almost anyone. </p><p>
  <em>Don't do this now, Lucy, don't get into it with yourself. </em>
</p><p>Meanwhile, Levy was smiling up at Gray, letting him into her house. He was going to stay the night--Freed hadn't wanted him to be alone. Besides, there was nowhere else for him to stay. Lucy's, maybe, but Freed had dropped Gray off her and this was where he'd stay.</p><p>Levy's own husband was out of the house now, off doing whatever it was he did on his jobs. Being a wizard meant being out often. </p><p>"You okay upstairs or do you want to sleep in the living room?" Levy asked, pulling some blankets out of the closet.</p><p>"Wherever you want to stick me, I'll go," Gray chuckled.</p><p>"Don't be embarrassed, by the way. I don't mind," She said, "it's nice to have the company in here, actually."</p><p>Gray swallowed, nodding. The color seemed to drain from his face, but he thanked her anyway. </p><p>The two of them spent the night gossiping about the guildmates, reading <em>Sorcerer Weekly </em>articles they'd cut out as kids, looking at Levy's photo albums, and re-watching movies from their childhoods. She'd assumed that looking at things from their childhood would ease Gray's nerves and make the night easier.</p><p>And as Gray fell asleep on the couch next to her, she realized she was right.</p>
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